Stats: Most sixes by a batsman in ODIs

MS Dhoni broke Sachin Tendulkar's Indian record of most sixes in ODIs and is the first Indian to 200 hit ODI sixes.

MS Dhoni now holds the Indian record for most ODI sixes and is fourth on all-time list Image Credit: BCCI

Courtesy of his exploits in the fourth ODI against New Zealand, South African captain AB de Villiers overtook Sourav Ganguly into seventh place on the all-time list of most sixes in ODIs. AB now has 192 sixes in 215 ODIs.

Sachin Tendulkar might have most of the records as far as One Day Internationals (ODIs) is concerned but after MS Dhoni’s record-breaking efforts in the third ODI against New Zealand, he lost the Indian record for most sixes in ODIs. The little master previously held the record with 195 sixes but was overtaken by Indian wicketkeeper in Mohali.

In the second ODI against England, MS Dhoni brought up 200 ODI sixes, he is still a long way away from the world record, which is currently held by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, who has a mind-boggling 351 ODI sixes, which is comfortably clear of any player currently playing ODIs.

In his ODI career, which spanned nearly two decades, Shahid Afridi played 398 ODIs and finished with 351 sixes, a record which is unlikely to be broken anytime soon. Not only because the player in second place, who is 81 sixes behind has already retired from the game, but also because MS Dhoni, with 204 sixes, leads the list of players who are currently playing ODIs (not counting Chris Gayle, who hasn’t retired from ODIs but hasn’t played one since March 2015).

Among the top five players on this list, all have scored 200 sixes and just two have more than 250 to their name. In second place is legendary Sri Lankan all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya who has 270 sixes from 445 ODIs. Third place is occupied by Chris Gayle, who has 238 sixes in 269 matches, whose last ODI was the quarter-final of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup against New Zealand.

Brendon McCullum was in fourth place with 200 sixes before MS Dhoni overtook the former New Zealand captain and moved into fourth place.

India and New Zealand are the only two countries to have more than one player feature in the list of top ten batsmen with most ODI sixes. While there are three Indian players, Dhoni, Sachin and Ganguly, there are two from New Zealand.

Among players who are still active, Chris Gayle leads the list with 238 sixes, while MS Dhoni is second and AB de Villiers is third and the only other active player in the top ten.